Ben Franklin on ELearning

By: Justin Ferriman • September 7, 2014
Filed Under:

training

The other day I came across an interesting quote by Benjamin Franklin on elearning. Perhaps you have heard it before, it goes as follows:

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

You may claim that this quote has nothing to do with elearning, and in the direct context you are correct. However, this quote by Franklin should be actively applied by anyone creating an elearning course.

Too often elearning progresses slide-by-slide with a bunch of bullet points. All it does is “tell” the user the information that they should know. If you have more than three main points, chances are they will be forgotten soon after the course.

We remember things that we are involved with, and Ben Franklin recognized this. Using this same concept, you should look for ways to involve your users into the content, not just tell them what is important.

There are a variety of ways to do this. One possible way is to implement simulations within the training, breaking up the content at logical points so that the learner can then apply the information that they were just taught. This is perfect if you are in the process of implementing a new software system or some other procedure.

Small games are another way to make this happen. Using some form of quiz or memory exercise can go a long way in solidifying the content being presented.

The point is, you should look for ways to get learners engaged in the course content so as to increase the effectiveness of the delivery – it’s what Ben Franklin would have wanted 😉 .

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter